The Traveling Friends
by Nanenna
Summary: Once upon a time two travelers met on the road and quickly became the best of friends. They decided to travel together and had many adventures together.


A lone young woman with pale hair and eyes the color of a mountain lake on a clear summer's day walked sedately down the road, a bag full of all her earthly possessions hung by her side. Her clothes were dusty and travel worn, but she was too entranced by the beautiful forest she was walking through to care about her clothes.

A loud crack interrupted the young woman's reverie, followed by more thuds of something heavy being hit. She stopped and looked around, a side path led away to the left and just beyond a rather tall bush there was something moving. And the sound of laughter. She turned down the path and peeked around the bush to see a group of small boys attacking a road side shrine with heavy sticks.

"Hey you brats! What do you think you're doing!" The young woman ran at the boys, but stopped short when they only looked up at her.

"What's it matter to you?"

She blinked slowly before she put her hands on her hips and leaned over the boys, "It matters because it's bad luck to destroy a shrine like that. And it matters because if you lot don't stop I will go find your mothers and see what they think of your behavior."

The boys hesitated at that, a couple of them edged away from the angry stranger. One stepped forward and put his hands on his own hips, "Don't be afraid of her, she doesn't even know who any of us are."

"My mom'll tan my hide though, I'm not risking it." The boy turned and ran away, followed by another and then another until only the one who had stepped forward was left.

He hesitated for a moment before mumbling, "It wasn't even all that fun anyway," and ran off as well.

Once all the boys were out of sight the young woman turned around and crouched before the shrine. It seemed fine for the most part, the protective covering over the shrine seemed to have taken most of the abuse. There were several bits of food and shiny objects scattered on the ground around the shrine, she gathered them all up and carefully wiped the dust from them before placing them before the stone tengu at the center of the shrine. She bowed politely the tengu, "Please forgive those boys, they are young and haven't fully learned better yet. Oh!" she grabbed for her bag and stuck her tongue out as she dug around in it. With a triumphant cry she pulled a single coin from its depths. "I know it's not much, but it's my last zenny and it is shiny." She bowed once more before standing straight and dusting off her clothes. "Well, I wish you luck with those boys, goodbye." The young woman waved cheerfully at the statue before turning and walking back to the main road.

Some hours later, it had grown late and she was deciding between finding a place to rest nearby or to keep walking in the hopes of finding a village when she spotted a lone man sitting next to a campfire just off the road. As she came closer she looked him over: a tall, spindly, older man with jet black hair streaked here and there with gray, wearing black clothes save for the white sleeves sticking out from his black vest. He turned at her approach, his dark eyes glittered as a smile lit up his face.

"Good evening, sir," the young woman said with a bow.

"Good evening, miss," the man replied as he stood and bowed as well. Now she could see he had a fan made of white feathers tucked into his belt, but was otherwise dressed completely in black. Right down to the black pom poms hanging down his front. "Care to sit at my fire for dinner?" the strange man offered.

"Yes, thank you," she replied with a smile of her own as she sat before the fire. Before she could do more than reach for her bag, the stranger had ladled some soup into a bowl and handed it to her with a wooden spoon. "Oh, thank you."

"You're quite welcome," the stranger responded as he picked up his own bowl and went back to eating. They sat in silence for a while, savoring the hearty soup he had given her, when the stranger spoke up again. "My name is Toto, and I'm out to see the whole world, or as much of it as I can."

"Me too! That is," she blushed as she softened her words, "I'm traveling too. My name is Yuki."

"It's very nice to meet you, Yuki."

"And you as well."

The pair lapsed into silence again, Toto staring thoughtfully into the fire as Yuki finished her dinner. It wasn't until she was handing over her empty bowl that Toto spoke again, "It has grown quite late, it would be foolish to go wandering off. You are welcome to stay by my fire the rest of the night."

"Thank you, that's very kind of you."

"Not so kind as all that," Toto said with a laugh. "It's better for me to have a friend while I travel just as much as it is for you."

"I think I'd like that."

* * *

Yuki found traveling to be much more interesting now that she and Toto were traveling together. Certainly going to new places and talking to new people was fascinating, and the vistas between villages were lovely to behold; but there were still long stretches of sameness as she trudged from vista to village to vista. Truth be told, some of it was beginning to blur together.

"So you've never been traveling before either?" Yuki asked while they walked a winding path up a mountain side.

"Well, nothing quite like this before. I'd been all over the forests back home of course, but I've never been so far for so long."

"Are you going any place particular?"

Toto shook his head, "Not really, I do know I'd like to cross the ocean and visit foreign countries."

Yuki thought of a figure she had only seen once, briefly. A figure wearing clothes in a strange, foreign cut. "Going to a foreign country sounds fun, how far is the ocean?"

"Just over this mountain, or so I'm told. Won't it be worth the journey just to see the ocean? Water spread as far as the eye can see and deeper than any man can measure."

"It will be worth it, I've never seen the ocean either. But I hear sunsets over the ocean are an experience all their own."

"That is something to look forward to."

Yuki's first glimpse of the ocean came as they crested the mountain range they were crossing, said mountains were indeed rising right out of the ocean. Yuki was hit by a blast of salty ocean air as she stood on the mountain side and stared in wonder as the ocean sparkled like a million glittering diamonds.

"It's beautiful," she breathed in wonder as Toto stood silently next to her.

"It really is," he agreed just as wondrously.

"Can we camp here for the night? I want to watch the sun set over the ocean."

"It's not a good spot for camping, but I too want to watch the sun set from up here." Toto looked around briefly before coming to a decision. "How about this? You stay here and I'll scout around a little, find us a good spot to camp. Then after we watch the sun set I can take us straight to it."

"That sounds like a great idea," Yuki replied as she seated herself on a convenient rock and went back to staring out over the ocean.

* * *

The trip over the ocean hadn't been half so wondrous as watching that first sunset had been. Much to Yuki's horror she found that as soon as the boat left port the rolling waves caused her stomach to roll in protest. To Toto's horror he found his own stomach protested much more violently. The sailors all laughed as he clung desperately to the railing on the side of the ship and heaved.

"You'll get your sea legs soon enough, happens to everyone their first time out past the shore."

"I've heard of sea sickness before, but I never guessed just how awful it really was," Yuki said as she leaned heavily against the railing.

"At least you're not urp-" Toto turned and was sick over the side again. "Ugh, I thought for sure there was nothing left to heave."

"Surely there's some cure, isn't there something to do with lemons that helps?"

"I do have a cure all that might help..." Toto said uncertainly. "It's supposed to help with illnesses and injuries, but this isn't some disease so it might not work."

"Better give it a try or just resign ourselves to being miserable for the better part of a week."

"Right." Toto leaned heavily against the railing as he dug through his own bag, quickly pulling a small box out. He opened it to reveal it was full of some sort of salve that he dipped his finger in before smearing it underneath his nose. He breathed deeply, his body immediately relaxing as a smile spread across his face. "Ah yes, much better. I can't believe it really worked."

"Please," Yuki begged, "if it worked… I'm not sure how much longer my stomach can last."

"Of course," Toto quickly spread some of the cure-all underneath her nose. Yuki took a deep breath, the scent was fresh like a morning breeze blowing off the mountains. Her whole body relaxed as the roiling in her stomach faded away to be replaced by a pleasant tingling. "Oh, that is nice. Thank you, Toto."

"You're quite welcome. So how's the ocean looking now?"

"Much better," Yuki replied with a laugh as she turned to look out over the rolling waves.

* * *

They had long ago traveled into distant countries where the people spoke strange languages that Yuki knew she couldn't understand, yet somehow she did. She suspected her friend had something to do with it. He always had enough coin to spare, in the local currency no less, he always had a spare pair of clothes although his bag was much smaller than hers, and they were running on a streak of good luck wider than the ocean. But Yuki knew better than to question these things, it was rude after all. If Toto wanted to tell her who or what he really was, then she would listen politely and accept him just as he was. If not, well… Yuki was certain he had a good reason to keep it to himself. For now she was content to visit the market place in the latest country they were traveling through.

"Come you must let me buy you something, your clothes are practically in tatters!" Toto insisted as they looked over the dress maker's patterns.

"I couldn't wear these, they're all so strange. I wouldn't even know how to put such clothing on," Yuki insisted. "Although, this fabric is rather pretty..." Her fingers trailed over a soft fabric in a lovely shade of pink with a pale vine pattern twisting over it.

"It's a sturdy fabric too," the dressmaker add as she pushed the swatch closer to Yuki, "very popular among the farmers' wives."

"Would it be possible to buy the bolt? And some thread too?"

The dress maker sighed, "Sure. I can do that."

Toto laughed as he dropped several coins in the dress maker's hand, "You would rather make it yourself than let me buy you something already made?"

"This way I can something I know how to wear," Yuki insisted as she stuck her tongue out at Toto.

"Very well, I suppose we should buy lodging for a few days while you work on your new clothes. This one and this one too," Toto added to the dress maker as he pointed at two more bolts, one of white fabric and one of a deep green. "You'll need more than just the one layer," he replied to Yuki's strange look.

"Oh, of course. How silly of me. Thank you, Toto."

"You're quite welcome," Toto replied as he hefted a bolt of fabric in each arm. "I believe the inns are this way..." He turned to the left.

"Weren't you paying attention? There's one just down this street," Yuki giggled as she turned right.

"You're right, how silly of me to get all turned around."

The inn was very nice, every surface was polished to a sparkle, the inn keeper was comfortably round, dinner was included in the price, he had two rooms available, and there was even a traveling entertainer to perform after dinner that night. "A trio of entertainers, actually," the inn keeper's wife added as Toto dropped coins into the inn keeper's hand. "They have some sort of contraption they're setting up now." The inn keeper's wife nodded to the corner where three people were indeed industriously setting something up, it looked rather like a miniature stage.

"That's certainly something to look forward to," Toto commented as they climbed the inn's stairs.

"It looks like a small stage, do you think it'll be a shadow puppet show? One traveled through my village once when I was very small."

"Could be," Toto agreed, "it certainly looks like that kind of stage. I wonder what kinds of stories they tell in this country."

Yuki thought the matter over as they came to the top of the stairs and found their rooms. "An adventure that ends with a romance."

Toto laughed, "That does seem pretty universal. Here's your room, I'll see you at dinner then?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Yuki declared as she started gathering up her sewing kit and laying out the bolts of fabric. She worked industriously until Toto came to get her for dinner.

"Look, everyone's gathering around for the show," Yuki said as she pointed at the people moving their chairs in front of little stage.

"We had better join them," Toto said as he picked up his chair and walked toward the crowd. Yuki quickly followed behind.

Sitting front and center was a man with a great beast sitting next to him the way an obedient dog sits next to its beloved master. "What manner of monster is that?" Yuki whispered as she pointed at the creature.

Toto looked over the monster's drooping ears, wrinkled muzzle, dangling jowls, and broad chest. "No idea, but it certainly looks fearsome."

"I hope he's got that creature well in hand."

"As do I."

Further conversation was hushed as the curtains on the little stage were parted and a puppet hanging from strings riding a puppet horse against a back drop of painted snow flurries came across the stage.

Yuki watched in wonder as the story of the poor man indebting himself to an unseen lord for a perfect, red rose only for his daughter to take his place unfolded before her. The lord had just revealed himself to the daughter, a cleverly carved puppet with the face of an orange and cream cat wearing the strange clothes these foreigners seemed to prefer, when the beast sitting in the audience seemed to take offense and leapt onto the stage to take the cat puppet in his mouth and viciously snap it in two.

The beast's owner pulled it back, he smacked the splintered remains of the puppet from its mouth. "Spit it out," he commanded the contrite looking beast. "C'mon, don't need you swallowing a splinter and getting sick."

"Who cares about your stupid dog, who's going to pay for my puppet?" one of the entertainers asked angrily as he tried to gather up the broken puppet.

"That's a dog?" Yuki asked Toto in wonder, who could only shake his head in response.

"It was a stupid looking puppet anyway," the dog's owner replied as he pulled the dog behind him.

"I don't care if you like the Beast or not, we can't tell the story without him. Since you can't keep your dog contained I demand you take responsibility for it and pay to have the puppet replaced."

"I'm not paying for your cheap rubbish."

"Sir, you can take that untrained beast out of my inn and never bother coming back!" The inn keeper's wife hollered as she pointed the man to the door.

The dog owner looked like he was going to protest, but he took a moment to look around and see the sea of glares he was floating in the middle of. "This place serves rotten food anyway." The man led his dog out of the inn.

"And may the door hit you on the way out!" one of the entertainers hollered at the man's departing back. She then thumbed her nose at him as she stuck out her tongue, a gesture Yuki didn't recognize but was sure was very rude.

The rest of the crowd gathered around to comfort the entertainer crying over his broken puppet.

"I may be able to help," Toto offered as he pulled out the little box of cure-all.

"Will that really repair a broken puppet?" Yuki asked as she eyed the box.

Toto only shrugged, "It is magic after all."

"Please, if it'll really help," the entertainer holding the broken puppet begged.

"Lay it out so all the pieces are connected," Toto ordered. Once the puppet was laid out and the pieces all lined up as best they could be, he dipped his finger into the salve and smeared it over the broken puppet.

The pieces immediately knit themselves together, the paint renewing itself until the puppet looked like new. Then the puppet jumped to his feet, wiped the dust from his clothes, and pulled the strings from his limbs.

"Oh my!" the entertainers all exclaimed as the audience gasped in wonder. The one who had been crying earlier crouched down to be at eye level with the living puppet and experimentally poked him. The puppet stumbled to regain his balance, turned to face the man who had just poked him, then pulled off his hat to execute a strange bow.

"Greetings, my artisan."

"How polite!" someone in the audience exclaimed.

"What do we do with a living puppet?" one of the entertainers asked in worry. "We can't have the Beast move and talk on his own then have the curse lifted to reveal a normal puppet for the Prince." He picked up a puppet from behind the stage, a rather handsome puppet with hair the same color as the Beast's orange fur, a painted crown upon his head, and clothes that looked startlingly familiar to Yuki.

"His outfit," Yuki said in wonder as she stepped closer and reached out to touch the Prince puppet. The entertainer pulled the puppet to his body, causing Yuki to blush and clasp her her hands behind her. "May I see him?"

The entertainer nodded and held the puppet up for Yuki to look over.

"He looks so familiar, is he based on a real person? Or just his clothes?"

The entertainer shook his head, "We just painted on a princely suit, I think Gretta saw it in an old fairy book."

"Well, thank you for letting me see him." Yuki turned to find Toto gently holding the living doll in his hands and talking with the other two entertainers.

"Are you sure?" Toto asked.

"If it's what the Beast really wants, who are we to say 'no'?"

"What are we agreeing to?" Yuki asked as she stepped up to Toto's side and held a finger out to the doll, who happily gripped it and bent over her finger in a mock kiss.

"This little fellow wishes to come with us," Toto replied.

"You gave me life and saved me from being thrown out with the rubbish. Please, let me follow you wherever you go."

"I already said 'yes' so you needn't ask again," Toto said with a chuckle.

"Thank you," the doll replied with another sweeping bow.

"I'm Yuki, and this is Toto. What shall we call you? We can't just call you Beast."

"Please call me Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, that is what my Artisan named me."

Both Yuki and Toto looked over at the entertainer, who began rubbing his hands together nervously. "Well, you see… he _is_ playing the part of a cursed prince, and Humbert von Gikkingen is a _very_ noble name. And it's not like he can just _tell_ Beauty he's a prince under a curse, but he is also still a nobleman so he calls himself a baron until after she breaks the curse."

"I think the name suits him very well," Yuki said gently before the entertainer could babble any more. "And I've had more than enough excitement for one evening, I'm ready to go to bed."

"I agree," Toto said as he moved Baron to sit on his shoulder.

"I had better get started on a replacement puppet," the entertainer said before turning to the others. "After we get all of this put away."

"Hey boss, does it have to be a cat this time? Can't your Beast be more beastly this time?"

"If I've told you once I've told you a million times, the puppets can't be too detailed or the audience can't tell what's going on!"

Toto and Yuki giggled as they headed up the stairs, the sounds of what must be a long running argument floating after them.

* * *

Yuki stepped out of her room, gently shutting the door behind her. "Good morning, Toto, Baron."

"Good morning, Yuki," Toto said.

"Good morning, Miss Yuki," Baron echoed from Toto's shoulder.

Yuki spun around to show off her brand new, dark green kimono, causing her bag to swing around dangerously. "What do you think?"

"Your robe is very nice, Miss Yuki."

"But what happened to the pink fabric I bought you?"

"It's too pretty to wear out on the dusty roads, so I'm keeping it nice and safe until I need to wear something pretty. And it's nice to have a spare."

"That makes sense," Toto said as he and Yuki walked down the stairs.

"Good morning," the trio called to the inn keeper as he bustled behind the counter.

"Good morning," he replied with with a wide smile. "Ah, that's right, it was your last night. You'll be leaving us now."

"Yes, it's time we were moving on now."

"It was a pleasure having you here, especially the little Baron. You keep him safe, now."

"We will," Toto promised. "And thank you for your hospitality." Toto and Yuki bowed to the inn keeper in unison, Toto with a hand supporting Baron.

"Good bye!"

"Good bye, come back again some day!"

The trio waved as they left the inn and found themselves on a bustling side walk. Despite the early hour it seemed the whole city was awake and busy. As luck would have it, a busy city meant many wagons heading in or out of the city. They hitched a ride with a farmer heading back home. By late afternoon they found themselves walking along an empty highway with empty fields dotted with large, docile animals on either side.

"How are you liking your first look at the country?" Toto asked.

"It's so… big," Baron replied as he stared around them in wonder.

"Is it your first look? Surely you saw the countryside back when…" Yuki trailed off, unsure how to politely word her thoughts.

"Back when I was a puppet," Baron finished for her. "No, I don't have any memories from before I was given life. And I imagine I would have been kept packed safely away with the other puppets while traveling."

"Oh, of course," Yuki blushed and looked down in embarrassment. The trio walked on in silence for a time, then Yuki worked up the courage to ask her next question. "Pardon me for asking, but if you have no memories from before how did you know who your artisan was? Or what he named you? Or that you were broken?"

"I may not have memories, but I was born just knowing certain facts like the ones you mentioned, how to speak and move, and a general idea of what life is like."

"How convenient," Yuki said with a gentle smile. "It would have been very troublesome for you to have been born as helpless as a baby."

"You wouldn't have been able to ask to come with us," Toto said sadly. "Though I'm sure your artisan would have taken very good care of you."

"I'm much happier with my current lot in life," Baron said as he gently nuzzled Toto's ear.

"And we're quite happy to have you with us," Yuki reassured him.

Toto's only response was to smile shyly and gently pat Baron's foot.

* * *

They traveled south this time, wandering so far it felt like they had entered a land of eternal summer. The buildings were all shining white with rusty red roofs, and they must be getting close to another ocean because occasionally the breeze had a salty tang to it. They entered a city larger than any other they had passed through, with a towering building seen distantly in the center.

"Oh, isn't this jewelry pretty?" Yuki asked as she pointed at a necklace studded with jewels greener than any leaves.

"It really is," Toto replied as he leaned closer to look over the glittering jewelry.

"Make way! Make way!"

Toto and Yuki turned to watch as a procession came through the market place, several criers walking ahead to move the crowds out of the way. Leading the procession was a dark haired young man wearing sparkling white clothes cut in the fashion popular in these foreign lands. He must be important, Yuki mused to herself, for his clothes were covered in many sparkling, colorful little bits and bobs. He seemed to be waving disinterestedly at the crowd, slowly he turned to look over their side of the street.

Yuki gasped, if she had been holding anything it would have smashed at her feet. As it was she could barely keep her legs under her. "His eyes," she breathed in shock.

"Did you say something, Miss Yuki?" Baron asked from her shoulder, but Yuki was too focused on the young man riding through the streets.

Yuki turned around so fast Baron lost his grip and tumbled over her shoulder, only his quick reflexes saved him from a nasty fall. Yuki was too preoccupied to notice her little friend's near spill. "Who was that?" she demanded from the jewelry saleswoman.

"Who was who? The prince?"

"Was he the one in front? With the white clothes and the blue belt over his chest?"

"Yes, that's Prince Lune. Poor fellow, he used to be so good to us."

"A prince!" Yuki sank into a crouch at the news, causing Baron to nearly lose his grip again as he tried to climb back up her shoulder.

Toto gently moved Baron from Yuki's shoulder to his own as he asked, "Yuki? What's wrong?"

Yuki stood back up and leaned over the jeweler's table. "Tell me everything about this Prince Lune, please."

"He's the son of King Silvanus and heir to the crown, he likes riding through the city to check on th-"

"No," Yuki interrupted, "What did you mean about how he used to be so good to you?"

"Ah, such a tale of woe. The prince was once very kindly, he would ride through the city and stop to talk to anyone he met to find out what the people's needs were, he would stop even during parades with his father if anyone wished to ask him for help, he always wore a smile and was very polite to even the lowest beggar. Then a few years ago he suddenly… well… he seemed to stop caring." The jeweler sighed and rested his cheek against a fist as he continued his tale. "As you saw he still rides through the city, but he never stops to talk to anyone anymore, just stares blankly around himself like he doesn't see anyone. He stopped organizing and funding charities, he no longer reviews new laws to make sure they don't take advantage of us, and I hear from my cousin's friend who delivers flour to the palace every morning that the prince has stopped attending court at all and pays as much attention to court functions as he does to his rides through the city. And then when his father suggested he find a bride, Prince Lune set three impossible tasks for any prospective brides."

Yuki, who had been nodding as she listened to all this, furrowed her brows at the jeweler's last comment. "Impossible tasks?"

"He says his future bride must be a good queen and so he set forth three impossible tasks for any prospective brides to do. Many princesses and noblewomen from all the neighboring kingdoms and from within our own all tried to do the tasks, but none have succeeded. Out of desperation King Silvanus said any young woman may try her hand at the tasks, but then Prince Lune said any who fail will be put to death. A few young women have tried since then but..."

"How awful," Yuki murmured as tears glimmered in her eyes. She brushed a hand across her face, then asked her last question of the jeweler, "What are the three tasks?"

"The first is a riddle, a different one every time. The second is untying an impossible knot, none have succeeded."

"And the third?"

"Since no one has untied the knot no one knows what the third task is, barely anyone's even answered his riddles."

"Thank you for the information, you've been very helpful."

"Oh yes, our prince's tale of woe is certainly moving. And this emerald here is- hey! Where are you going?"

Yuki had already slipped into the crowd and was heading deeper into the city. Toto and Baron quickly caught up with her to ask, "Miss Yuki, are you unwell?"

"Baron's right, you're acting strange. Tell us what's wrong."

"The prince… my dream..." Yuki shook her head and looked around at the crowds pressing around them. "Let's find someplace more private to talk, perhaps an inn we can book rooms in for the night?"

Toto ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Yeah that sounds good."

The trio soon found themselves tucked into the back corner of a mostly empty tavern with plates of the local food in front of them. Yuki was absently pushing her food around on her plate as Toto stared at her over his and Baron chose to sit patiently on the table between them.

"It all started with a dream I had, a prophetic dream. Then I had the same dream again the next night, and the next… I had the same dream every night for a week straight, a dream that I needed to go out and explore the world and help a man who kept appearing. Once I decided to leave, the dream stopped for the most part, but I've had it off and on ever since. And then today I saw Prince Lune again."

"You wandered up and down the whole world looking for someone you saw in a dream four years ago?" Toto asked incredulously.

"Not entirely, I was also genuinely enjoying just traveling with you."

"Miss Yuki, how can you even be certain the man you saw in the dream is in fact Prince Lune?"

"His eyes," Yuki replied instantly. "He has the same mismatched eyes."

Silence fell over the table as Toto and Baron took in this information. Eventually Toto picked up his fork and took a bite of his lukewarm food. "What do you plan to do now?"

"I shall go to the palace and do the three impossible tasks." Silence fell on the table again as Toto and Baron merely stared blankly at her.

"Miss Yuki," Baron said hesitantly, "are you sure that's wise?"

"I'm quite sure it's very unwise," Yuki replied.

"Then the first thing we'll need is a bath and some fresh clothes," Toto said. "After we finish eating."

"Thank you, Toto. You've always been so good to me."

* * *

The palace was even larger and more imposing up close, but Yuki didn't let that dampen her determination. "Good afternoon," she said to the guards at the wide front doors.

"Good afternoon," one of the guards replied. "What is your business at the palace today?"

"I'm going to take on the prince's challenge."

The guards looked at each other in alarm, then back at Yuki. "Please miss, reconsider! No one's ever even made it to the third task and failure means death."

"I know, but I'm going to do it anyway."

The guards dithered for a moment, before one motioned into the palace proper. "Tell any of the page boys inside and they'll take you to the king."

"Good luck," the other offered half heartedly.

"Thank you," Yuki bowed briefly to the guards before walking in.

True to the guards' word, Yuki was taken directly to the king's own personal study where she was bid to sit in an overstuffed chair while the king himself was fetched. Yuki idly looked around the office when the door suddenly opened. Yuki stood to see a short man with a great, gray, bushy beard standing in the doorway.

"Is it true, do you want to be Lune's bride?"

"Yes… your majesty?" Yuki wasn't sure if the man before her was actually the king, his clothes certainly looked extravagant enough to be king.

"I'm so happy, my dear boy is just pining away for a bride!" The man took Yuki's hands in his and looked up at her with tears glimmering in his great, big eyes.

Mismatched eyes, Yuki thought to herself, he's definitely the king!

"Come along, you must meet Lune right away." The king turned and walked out of the study, leaving Yuki to trail behind him. "Oh Lune," the king called happily as he led her into a large room, "I have a new bride for you, and she's quite a babe!"

"Oh really, Father?" Lune stood from his seat before a table full important looking people.

"Yes, and here she is!" The king motioned to Yuki, who bowed respectfully to him.

"A pleasure to meet you, your majesty."

"What's your name?"

"My name is Yuki."

"Where are you from? What does your family do?"

"Enough of this," The king said before Yuki could answer. "Isn't she pretty? Who cares about all that, you should be happy to have a bride!"

"I must know about her before she can do the three tasks."

"Oh, blast those tasks!" the king exclaimed angrily. "I don't see why you even need them."

"I am a foreigner, a mere traveler from a distant land," Yuki said to the prince.

Lune looked her up and down, then turned and started back to his spot at the table. "Come back in the morning, I must think of a suitable riddle for you."

"Lune, you can't just ignore her like that!" the king yelled angrily.

"As my prince commands," Yuki said with a bow before turning and leaving the palace.

"Wait, don't go yet! Augh! Why does everyone act like that?" The king pouted into his beard as everyone around him chose to politely ignore him.

* * *

The next morning Yuki, freshly washed and coiffed once again, found Toto sitting before her door with heavy bags under his eyes. Across from Toto was Baron, sitting in his strange foreign manner with ankles crossed and knees far apart.

"Toto, Baron, what's going on?"

Toto rose to his feet and held his white feathered fan to Yuki, "Here, take this. When the prince asks you his riddle you must say the answer is the wind and fan him with this fan."

"Will that be the correct answer? How do you kn-"

"And this knife, it can cut through any lie," Toto added as he shoved a sheathed knife into her hands.

"Cut through lies? That doesn't even make any sen-"

"And these gloves that make it so people don't feel you pickpocket them, the healing salve, a mirror that shows any distant land, this necklace that cures all nausea..."

"That would have been useful ages ago," Yuki said as the necklace was piled on top of everything else.

"And this pair of seven league boots," Toto added as he shoved a pair of shapeless, leather buckets at her.

"Seven what boots? Toto, how am I supposed to carry all this? Am I supposed to wear those things you just called boots?"

"No, if you wear them every step you take will be three and a half leagues."

"Toto, I can't carry all this, what is going on?"

"I agree with Yuki on the boots," Baron piped in from his spot on the floor.

"Maybe the boots are a bit much," Toto conceded. He bashfully put them down, then took back most of the items. "They're to help you with your tasks, I can't do them for you but you need all the help you can get."

"Toto, that's so sweet of you!" Yuki smiled at her dear friend before adding, "Thank you."

Toto patiently held the magic items he was gifting Yuki with, handing them over one by one as she tucked them into her belt, in the folds of her clothes, up her sleeve, wherever she could fit them. Lastly he handed over the fan, which she tucked into the front of her belt the way he always wore it. "Remember, the answer is wind, and you must use the fan too."

"I remember, it's just..." Yuki sighed sadly as she looked up into Toto's eyes. "Aren't you ready to tell me the truth yet?"

"Today, once all this is over."

"Okay then, I'm heading out."

"Good luck, Miss Yuki," Baron said with one of his fancy bows.

"Good luck, Yuki," Toto said as he gave her a respectful bow.

"Thank you both," Yuki replied with a bow of her own.

Outside the inn she found a carriage drawn by four pure white horses waiting to take her to the palace. She fidgeted nervously the whole ride there, it was hard not to with the doleful looks the castle maid sitting across from her kept giving her. Fortunately even awkward carriage rides must come to an end and Yuki found herself standing before the entire royal court, all of whom looked dressed for a funeral and were shaking their heads at her.

Yuki stopped before the throne, the prince sitting at his father's right hand, and bowed low to the royals. "I have returned, as you requested."

The king merely scowled as Prince Lune rose and took a step down the dais the throne was perched on. "Then we shall begin, your riddle is: I knock down trees and destroy homes, but no man has ever seen me nor been able to track me. What am I?"

Yuki plucked the fan from her belt and began to flutter it, "The answer to your riddle is the wind."

Prince Lune groaned and dropped his head into a hand as he stumbled and looked ready to fall to the floor.

Yuki immediately stopped the fan, a look of horror crossed her face as guards flooded into the room to stand between her and the prince, one of them even confiscated the fan from her.

"What have you done?" the king demanded angrily.

"I don't know, the fan was a gift from a friend… I… I didn't think it would hurt him!"

Prince Lune stood up straight and held a hand out to the guards. "Wait, stop, I'm unharmed. In fact, I must thank Miss Yuki." He stepped the rest of the way down the dais with a gentle smile spread across his face. The guards quickly stepped out of his way as he held his hands out to Yuki, who blushed as she her own hands gently in his. "You broke the enchantment I was under, thank you."

"Enchantment?" Yuki asked in confusion.

"Yes, I was under a sorcerer's enchantment, have been for years. It was why I forced all those young ladies to do these tasks, the enchanter ordered me to and I had to obey every order he gave."

"Where's this enchanter?" the king demanded angrily. "I'll have his head for this!"

"No need, your majesty," a magpie said as he sailed around the room. "My friends have already taken care of that wicked sorcerer, he'll trouble your kingdom no more."

With narrowed brow Yuki looked intensely at the magpie, certainly his passenger was very familiar. "Baron? Toto, is that you?"

Once they had landed, Baron hopped from the magpie's back, then both bowed to Yuki and Prince Lune. "Yes," the magpie said. "I told you I'd tell you everything today, and so I shall. I'm the tengu whose shrine you once defended from some unruly children." With a blinding flash of light Toto changed into a tengu that came up to about Yuki's hips, with bird claws for hands and a pair of black wings tipped in white feathers sticking out from his back.

"I think you're most handsome like this," Baron said as he looked admiringly up at Toto.

"I defended a shrine from unruly children?" Yuki asked in confusion.

"You don't remember?" Toto asked in shock.

"Well… it would have happened four years ago so it'd be hard to remember either way."

Toto laughed at that, shaking his head as he he wiped a tear from his eye. "Anyway, I only intended to guide you until you were out of the forest, but you were so sweet and kind that I decided to follow you to the ocean, then across it, then I found that traveling and your company suited me."

Yuki leaned down to plant a kiss on Toto's head, "Thank you, you've been a wonderful friend over the years and I'm very glad we met."

"Ahem," the prince cleared his throat. "I would like to ask a few questions, if I may. You followed me last night when I was called to go see the sorcerer?"

"Yes," Toto replied, "and took Baron here with me. He was very useful in listening to the sorcerer give you instructions."

"I could not have done so without you carrying me close enough to listen," Baron said bashfully.

"And you are sure the sorcerer will never trouble my kingdom again?"

"Quite sure," Toto replied as a cat-like grin spread across his beak to match the one on Baron's face.

"Good, now that that's out of the way, we can get on with the wedding!" the king exclaimed as he stood from the throne and flapped his elbows in excitement.

"Not quite yet," an adviser holding a pile of papers said. He adjusted his glasses as he looked down at the papers, "I'm afraid the young lady has only passed the first test and must pass the other two before the engagement can be official."

"Oh blast those tasks, can't I just decree them engaged?"

"If that would work, Father, I'd have been engaged ages ago."

"I'm willing to finish what I started," Yuki said.

Before anyone could add anything else, a servant carrying a ball of twine on a velvet cushion came running up and offered the twine to Yuki. She picked it up gingerly and looked over the fraying, dirty, lumpy ball.

"One of the young ladies tried to cut the ball apart and," Prince Lune paused in embarrassment, a blush spreading across his face, "I declared her to be cheating. The twine must be whole when the knot is undone."

Another look at the twine revealed it looked ready to break at the slightest pull in more than one spot. "In that case I had better heal it before starting." She pulled out the little box of healing salve and opened it to find there was only a little left in the corners. She paused long enough to give Toto a penetrating look, then quickly rubbed a little on the twine. Before the court's eyes the twine twisted itself back together, then untied itself. Yuki held the ball up and away from herself in surprise, giving everyone an excellent view as the twine came undone in long loops and curled about itself. When it finally stopped writhing about, Yuki was left holding the middle of a long piece of twine so fresh it looked as if it had been twisted just that morning.

Applause filled the court, the king himself jumped up and down in excitement. "She did it! The engagement's official now!"

"Not quite yet," the same adviser interrupted. "She still has one more task to do."

The king groaned, "What's this last task?"

Everyone looked at Prince Lune, who only shook his head. "I don't know, I was following the sorcerer's orders."

"Then you must choose a task on your own," the adviser answered.

Prince Lune looked down at his feet, his hand to his chin as he thought the matter over. Then, with a snap of his fingers, an idea came to him. "Miss Yuki has already succeeded at the third task, when she freed me of the enchantment I was under."

There were murmurs from the court as they considered this answer. "Can he do that? Don't they have to be done in order? Is that fair?"

"Works for me," the king declared. "Now, when'll the wedding be?"

"We'll leave you to your plans then," Baron said before taking off his tall hat and giving one of his fancy bows to Yuki and Lune while Toto changed back into a magpie.

"You're leaving?" Yuki asked sadly as Baron climbed onto Toto's back.

"Do not worry, we shall come visit you."

"We have to be at the wedding, if nothing else."

"In that case," Yuki said with a smile as she waved to her departing friends, "until we meet again!"

* * *

This is to fulfill a prompt I was given on Tumblr: H. C. Anderson's _The Traveling Companion_ with Toto/Baron for the main pairing. Sorry Anonymous, I know you wanted Baron/Toto but they ended up being more of a side pairing. When I read the part in the original story with a puppet coming to life I knew that just HAD to be Baron and well... the rest of the roles just kind of fell into place. I think it's nice to have characters just be friends though, and a Toto/Yuki friendship isn't something normally handled. I hope you liked it.

And what a convoluted story H. C. Anderson wrote! Really! I took a lot of liberties with it, but I rather like the outcome. One of the liberties I took was with the Cat King, I know he's mostly known as Claudius but I'm really attached to calling him Sylvester, so I chose the Greek root of the name here to keep the Greek name theme going. I also know he's not that short originally, but something about his personality just makes him seem short to me and I can't fight that. I also had planned to write out the scene of Toto and Baron spying on the evil sorcerer, but this one shot is long enough as is.


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